Internet-Enabled Laboratory Experiences for Undergraduate Civil Engineering Students

本项目旨在适应信息技术的最新发展，在土木工程本科课程中实施基于互联网的实验室实验。教师和学生可以在课堂内外远程观察、指导、控制和分析实验数据。该项目通过理论概念的实时可视化来改善学生的学习，并通过提供第一手的指导、控制和分析实验室实验的机会来培养创造性思维。除了提高提供给在校学生的课程质量外，目标之一是发展通过远程学习提供这些实验的能力。这些课程可能会帮助非传统的学生，如少数族裔、在职父母、兼职学生、职业转变的成年人等，他们正在寻求土木工程方面的职业。经过调整的信息方法是这样开发的，即它们可以很容易地应用于本项目所考虑的实验以外的实验。将开发的新软件界面可通过项目网站免费提供给其他院校的教员。还分发了为避免今后实施中可能出现的缺陷所需的补充文件。项目团队成员与北卡罗来纳农工大学（历史上是一所黑人大学）的教师合作，为他们提供指导和控制这些实验的教学机会。项目的有效性使用形成性和总结性方法进行评估。远程学习课程的好处涉及非传统学生的保留和更多的参与。

Engineering - Civil (54)This project is aimed at adaptation of recent developments in information technology for implementation of internet-enabled laboratory experiments in undergraduate Civil Engineering courses. Faculty and students are able to remotely observe, conduct, control, and analyze experimental data either in or outside a classroom. The project improves student learning through real-time visualization of theoretical concepts and fosters creative thinking by providing a first-hand exposure to conducting, controlling, and analyzing laboratory experiments. In addition to enhancing the quality of courses offered to on-campus students, one of the objectives is to develop the capability for offering these experiments via distance learning. Such offerings are likely to assist non-traditional students such as underrepresented minorities, working parents, part-time students, career-changing adults, etc. who are seeking a career in Civil Engineering. The adapted information methodologies are developed in such a way that they can be easily applied to experiments other than those considered in this project. New software interfaces to be developed are made available to instructors in other institutions for free downloads through a project web site. Supplementary documentation needed to avoid potential pitfalls in future implementations is also disseminated. Project team members collaborate with faculty at North Carolina A&T University, historically a black college, by providing them access to conduct and control these experiments for teaching purposes. Effectiveness of the project is evaluated using both formative and summative approaches. Benefits of distance learning courses are addressed with respect to retention and increased participation of non-traditional students.